Tumbling drum for coating nails having a weighing feeder



G. W. BELL April 28, 1964 TUMBLING DRUM FOR COATING NAILS HAVING AWEIGHING FEEDER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 11, 1958 I IIHIIII IIIHH IllGEORGE W- BELL ATTORNEYS April 28, 1964 G. w. BELL 3,131,090 I TUMBLINGDRUM FOR COATING NAILS HAVING A WEIGHING FEEDER Filed June 11, 1958 5Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEORGE W.' BELL ATTORNEYS April 28, 1964 G. w.BELL 3,

TUMBLING DRUM FOR COATING NAILS HAVING A WEIGHING FEEDER Filed June 11,1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIIIIHI IIHHHHIH HIIIHIIH INVENTOR.

GEORGE W. BELL Q4 ki /M ATTORNEYS April 2 8, 1964 G. w. BELL 3,131,090

TUMBLING DRUM FOR COATING NAILS HAVING A WEIGHING FEEDER Filed June 11,1958 5 Sheets$heet 4 INVENTOR. GEORGE W. BELL ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent 3,131,090 TULHNG DRUM FER EUATENG NAILS HAVENG A WEEGHING FEEDERGeorge W. Beil, Elterling, Eli, assignor to Northwestern Steei 8: WireCompany, Steriing, Ill, a corporation of Illinois Filed June 11, 1955,Ser. No. 741,406 4 Claims. (Cl. 1189) This invention relates toimprovements in apparatus for coating nails and the like.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a simple and improvedapparatus for coating nails and the like arranged with a view towardthoroughness in coating and simplicity and efficiency in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic nail coatingapparatus, automatically weighing the nails for coating, shaking a givenWeight of nails and applying a coating compound thereto and thentumbling the nails to complete the coating by commingling the coatednails with each other.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a nail coatingapparatus so arranged as to feed the nails directly from a cleaningdevice or the like for weighing and to automatically weigh and dischargethe nails for shaking, in which the coating compound is applied duringshaking of the nails, and the nails are then tumbled and dropped on eachother to complete the coating operation by commingling the coated nailswith each other.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to timeas the following specification proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial diagrammatic View in side elevation of a nailcoating apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the apparatus shownin FIGURE 1, but showing certain of the drive mechanisms for theapparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the apparatus,looking at the apparatus from the opposite side thereof from FIGURE 1and showing the weigh box moving to an open position;

FIGURE 4 is an end'view of the apparatus, looking at the apparatustoward the discharge end thereof;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken through the tumbling drum;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary View showing the weigh box in a tiltedposition for discharging nails therefrom and illustrating the mechanismfor tilting the weigh box; and

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic view diagrammatically illustrating thecontrol circuit for the apparatus.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, I haveshown a feeder trough 10, which may be a vibrating feeder trough and mayreceive nails directly from a nail cleaning apparatus or the like andconvey the nails for weighing and coating. As herein shown, thevibrating trough 10 is mounted on the platform 11 of a main frame 12 ofthe machine and has a discharge end in cascade relation with respect toa tilt weigh box 13, operating on principles similar to those shown anddescribed in my application Serial No. 685,860, filed September 24,1957, now U.S. Patent No. 3,027,954.

The tilt weigh box 13 in turn discharges a given weight of nails into anoscillatable hopper 15 for shaking the nails as a coating compound issupplied thereto and discharging the shaked partially coated nails to atumbling drum l6, tumbling the nails and progressing the nails towardthe discharge end thereof and completing the coating operation bycommingling the nails with each other as they are lifted and dropped inthe tumbling drum.

Patented Apr. 28, 1964 A pump 17 connected with a source of supply ofcoating compound has a spout 19 leading therefrom in discharge relationwith respect to the hopper 15 for discharging a measured quantity ofcoating compound into the hopper 15 as the measured quantity of nails isdischarged into said hopper. The pump 17 may be of any well known formoperating in timed relation with respect to the discharge of nails intothe hopper 15 The vibrating chute ltl may be of a well known form and isshown in FIGURES 1 and 3 as being mounted on the platform 11 on avibrating means 20, which may be an electromagnetic vibrator of a wellknown form, so not herein shown or described further. The vibratingtrough it is mounted at its rear end on an inclined flexible leg 21,mounted on the platform ll and forming a support for said trough.

The weigh box 13 is shown as being a rectangular box, closed at itsbottom and having an open top in material receiving relation withrespect to the discharge end of the vibrating trough lit, and having avertically movable front door 23 slidably guided between the side wallsof the weigh box and opening to accommodate the nails to be dischargedfrom the weigh box as the weigh box is tilted as a given Weight of nailsis discharged thereinto.

The Weigh box 13 is pivotally mounted on a carriage 24 on pivot pins 2extending inwardly from lugs 22 at the forward end of said carriage andmounted in the side Walls of the weigh box.

The door 23 is provided with rollers 31 at opposite sides of the lowerend thereof, engageable with inclined runways on cam bars 33 extendingforwardly from the carriage at from positions adjacent the pivot pins 25and inclined upwardly with respect thereto, for raising the door 2'3upon forward tilting movement of the weigh box 13, as shown anddescribed in my aforementioned application, Serial No. 635,860, filedSeptember 24, 1957, now US. Patent No. 3,027,954.

The carriage M is guided for free vertical movement along parallelspaced vertically extending guide rails 28 extending upwardly from aplatform 26, spaced above the bottom of the main frame 12 and suitablymounted thereon. The carriage 24 has an open bottom portion as in myaforementioned prior application, and has parallel upright side plates3h extending upwardly there-, from along the inner sides of the guidebars 28. Laterally spaced anti-friction rollers 29 are mounted adjacentthe upper and lower ends of the side plates 30 for rolling engagementwith opposite sides of the guide rails 28, for guiding the carriage 2'4,for vertical movement along said guide rails. The carriage 24 issupported in an elevated position by a weighing device 27 of thecounterbalanced type, as shown in my aforementioned prior application,and is lowered as the nails filling the box 27 overbalance acounterweight 5'1, to instigate the operation of mechanism for tiltingsaid weigh box, as will hereinafter more clearly appear as thespecification proceeds.

The weigh box 13 is tilted and the door 23 is opened, to discharge theweighed nails from said weigh box by operation of a Vertically guidedpusher arm 39, suitably guided in the main frame 12 for verticalmovement with respect thereto and having a roller 46) at its upper endadapted to extend through the open bottom portion of the carriage 24 andengage the bottom of the weigh box 13 and tilt said weigh box, as theweigh box is filled with a given weight of nails. This will also efiectopening of the door 23 by movement of the rollers 31 along the cam rails33.

The pusher arm 39 is vertically moved to tilt the weigh box 13 under thecontrol of a limit switch 35, closed by downward movement of thecarriage 24-, as the weigh box is filled with a given weight of nails.The means for raising the pusher arm 3? includes a cam 38 on a shaft 37,suitably journalled in a main frame 12 and driven through a onerevolution clutch 30. The one revolution clutch 36 may be anelectrically energizable clutch of any well known form and drives theshaft 37 for one revolution upon energization of said clutch, as is wellknown to those skilled in the art, so only herein shown in adiagrammatic form. The cam 38 engages a follower end 45 of a lever arm41, pivoted intermediate its ends on an upright support 44, on a pivotpin 43. The opposite end of the lever arm 41 from the cam 38 ispivotally connected with the lower end of the pusher arm 39, as by apivot pin 46. The cam 38 Will thus move the pusher arm 39 upwardly asits lobe engages the follower end 45 and will accommodate the pusher arm39 to move downwardly by gravity as the follower end 45 moves along thelow portion of the cam.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 and the means for automatically weighing thenails deposited in the weigh box 13, the weighing mechanism 27 is acounterweight or balanced beam type of weighing mechanism and comprisesa rockable weigh beam 47 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends in abearing support 49 extending upwardly from the platform 26. A shaft 48mounted at its ends on the support 49 forms a mounting for said weighbeam on an anti-friction bearing (not shown), mounted on said shaft. Aroller St? is shown as being mounted on the forward end of the weighbeam 4-7 for engaging the underside of the carriage 24, adjacent thecenter thereof. The counterweight 51 is shown as being mounted on theopposite end of the weigh beam 47 from the roller 50 for balancing thecarriage 24 and weigh box 13 in the elevated position shown in FTGURE 1,and accommodating lowering movement of the carriage 24 and weigh box 13to effect operation of the limit switch 35 and tilting of said weigh boxto the position shown in FIGURE 3, as a given weight of nails isdeposited in said weigh box, as shown and described in my aforementionedapplication Serial No. 685,860, now US. Patent No. 3,027,954.

The hopper 15 is shown in FIGURE 1 as being rockingly mounted on sideframe members 52 of the main frame 12 on pivot pins 53, extendinglaterally from opposite sides thereof and journalled in bearing blocks54 mounted on said side frame members. The hopper 15 is rocked about thepivot pins 53 to shake the nails deposited therein by operation of aneccentric 55 on a transverse shaft 60, journalled in bearing supports 61and rotatably driven by a speed reducer 62, through a chain and sprocketdrive 57. The speed reducer 62, is driven from a main motor 63 and is ofa type in which the motor and speed reducer are a unit, as is well knownto the art. The motor 63 may be energized upon closing of the limitswitch 35. The shaking connection from the eccentric 55 to the hopper 15includes an eccentric strap 58 journalled on the eccentric 55 and havinga link or arm 59 extending therefrom, pivotally connected at its forwardend to a tongue 56 depending from the hopper 15.

The hopper 15 also has a discharge spout (54 extending within thetumbling drum 16, for discharging the tumbled nails therein.

The tumbling drum 16 is shown as being cradled in the main frame 12 atits forward end on rollers 65, rotatably mounted on hearing supports 65projecting upwardly from the base for said main frame. A roller 67mounted in an end frame member 69 for a cradle 70 for the tumbling drum16, rotatably engages said tumbling drum to retain said tumbing drumfrom vertical movement with respect to the rollers 65, to rotate in atrue circle. The rear end portion of the tumbling drum 16 is mounted onrollers 71 supported in a transverse end frame member 72 of the cradle70 on shafts 73 (FIGURE 4). A roller '75 mounted on a shaft '76,supported in an upwardly spaced transverse frame member '77 of thecradle 7il is provided to engage the periphery of the tumbling drum 16and retain said tumbling drum to the rollers 71.

The tumbling drum to is shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 as having spiral vanes79 spaced along the inner periphery thereof in diametrically opposedrelation with respect to each other, for progressing the nails from thereceiving to the discharge end of said tumbling drum while being tumbledtherein. A divider 89 disposed between the vanes '79 and extendingradially inwardly from the inner eriphery of the tumbling drum isprovided to lift the nails during rotation of the drum, and accommodatethe nails to drop to the bottom of the drum, to assume efiicientcommingling of the nails during rotation of the drum.

The tumbling drum 16 is rotatably driven by a ring gear 81, mounted onthe outer periphery of said tumbling drum, adjacent the receiving endthereof. The ring gear 81 is meshed with and driven from a pinion 83 onthe forward end of a longitudinal shaft 84 journalled on the top of thecradle '70 and extending therealong.

The shaft 84 is driven from a motor 85, shown in FIGURE 4 as beingmounted on a platform 86 extending along the top of the carriage orcradle 70. The motor 85 is shown in FIGURE 7 as being connected acrossmain line conductors L L and as being energized under the control of aswitch 85a andrnay operate continuously as long as the apparatus is inoperation, and has a pulley 86 thereon, driving a spaced pulley 88through a belt drive 8?. The pulley 86 may be a variable speed pulley ofthe Reeves type to vary the speed of rotation of the drum 16 inaccordance with the sizes of nails to be coated. The pulley 88 drives aspeed reducer 90 through a transverse shaft 91. The speed reducer 90 inturn drives the shaft 84 through a chain and sprocket drive 2.

The shaft 84 also serves as a drive shaft for driving the one revolutionclutch 36 and cam 38. As herein shown, a parallel shaft 93 is mounted onthe frame 12 in journal boxes 3%, and is driven from the shaft 84through a chain and sprocket drive @5.

The one revolution clutch 36 and shaft 37 are driven from a sprocket 96coaxial with and freely rotatable about the shaft 37. The sprocket 96 isin turn driven from the shaft 93 through a drive chain 97. The sprocket96 is suitably journalled on the shaft 37 and is connected with thedriving member of the one revolution clutch 36 for continuously drivingsaid driving member as long as the sprocket is rotated. A brake 99 isprovided to hold the shaft 37 from rotation as the one revolution clutch36 completes its one revolution. The brake 9% may be a magnetic orsolenoid controlled brake, operated under the control of the limitswitch 35. The brake 99 may be connected in series with the onerevolution clutch 36 and is applied as the one revolution clutch 36completes its one revolution and is released as the one revolutionclutch 36 is engaged as the carriage 24 drops, upon the depositing of agiven Weight of nails therein, to close the limit switch 35, as shownand described in my aforementioned application Serial No. 685,860, nowUS. Patent No. 3,027,954, so not describedfurtherherein.

The pump 17, supplying coating compound through the spout 19 may be apiston type pump inserted in a barrel or container ltitl for the coatingcompound and ejecting a measured quantity of the coating compound fromthe container 1% and is positioned on the opposite side of the apparatusfrom the drive shaft 63. The pump 17 is diagrammatically shown in FIGURE7 and may be operated either by a unitary or separate motor under thecontrol of the limit switch 35, to dispense a measured volume of coatingcompound into the hopper 15 as a measured weight of nails is dumpedtherein by the tilt weigh box 13. he coating compound may be of varioustypes commonly used for coating nails to inhibit rusting thereof, soneed not be described in detail.

in operation of the device, the nails are fed directly from cleaner orthe like (not shown) into the vibrating chute it which is operable underthe control of a switch a to progress the nails into the weigh box 13.As the weigh box 13 becomes filled with a given weight of nails whichmay be a weight of 50 pounds the weigh box and the carriage 24 will movedownwardly against the weight of the counterweight 51 of the weighingdevice 27. The limit switch 35 will then be engaged by the carriage.This will close said limit switch and complete an energizing circuit tothe one revolution clutch 36. During this time, the motor 85, will beenergized to effect rotation of the tumbling drum 16. The motor willalso be energized to effect shaking of the hopper As the weigh box 13 islowered by the weight of the nails deposited in said weigh box and thelimit switch is tripped by lowering movement of said weigh box the onerevolution clutch 36 will be energized and the brake 99 will bereleased. This will effect, rotatable movement of the cam 38 for onerevolution to operate the pusher bar 39 to tilt the weigh box 13 towardthe hopper l5. Tilting movement of the weigh box 13 will cause therollers 31 to ride upwardly along the cam bars 33 and lift the frontdoor 23 to effect the direct discharge of the nails into the shakingweigh hopper 15.

As the nails are being discharged into the weigh hopper 15 the motor 63will be energized under the control of the limit switch to reciprocablydrive the hopper 15. The motor 63 may also operate, the pump 17 delivera measured quantity of coating compound into the hopper 15, for mixturewith the nails in said hopper as they are discharged therefrom into thetumbling drum 16. Tumbling of the nails in the tumbling drum will effectcommingling of the nails with the coating compound and with each otherand progress the nails toward the discharge end of the drum by theaction of the vanes 79 thereof. During the tumbling operation, the nailsare lifted by the radial plate 80 and dropped down onto the bottom ofthe drum to further commingle the nails, and assure a uniform coatingthereof during travel along said tumbling drum.

From the tumbling drum the nails may be weighed and boxed, as disclosedin my aforementioned application Serial No. 685,860, now US. Patent No.3,027,954.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that various modifications andvariations in the present invention may be effected without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a nail coating apparatus, a main frame, a feeder trough mounted onsaid main frame, a weigh box mounted on said main frame in materialreceiving relation with respect to said feeder trough, a weigh beambalancing said weigh box and accommodating lowering movement thereofupon the feeding of a given weight of nails to said weigh box, means fortilting said weigh box to deliver a given weight of nails, a hopperpivotally mounted on said main frame in material receiving relation withrespect to said weigh box for movement about an axis extendingtransversely of said main frame, a motor, means driven by said motor foroscillatably rocking said hopper, a tumbling drum rotatable about anaxis extending longitudinally of said main frame and having a receivingend adjacent said hopper and an opposite discharge end, said hopperhaving a discharge spout extending within the receiving end of saidtumbling drum and said tumbling drum having a lifting divider thereinand extending therealong for lifting the nails deposited in saidtumbling drum and accommodating the nails to drop onto said drum toeffect a thorough commingling thereof, means for feeding a measuredquantity of coating compound to said hopper as the nails are dischargedtherein, a second motor, means driven by said second motor for rotatablydriving said tumbling drum and tilting said weigh box to discharge ameasured quantity of nails into said hopper, and a switch operated bysaid weigh box upon lowering movement of said weigh box effected by thedeposit of a given weight 6 of nails therein for effecting the operationof said second motor to drive said tumbling drum and tilt said weighbox.

2. In a nail coating apparatus, a main frame, a feeder trough mounted onsaid main frame, a weigh box mounted on said main frame in materialreceiving relation with respect to said feeder trough, a weigh beamsupporting said weigh box in an elevated position with respect to saidmain frame and accommodating lowering movement thereof upon the depositof a given weight of nails therein, means for tilting said weigh box todeliver a measured quantity of nails upon lowering movement thereof andthe deposit of a given weight of nails therein, a hopper rockinglymounted on said main frame in material receiving relation with respectto said weigh box for movement about a horizontal axis extendingtransversely of said main frame, means operable upon lowering movementof said weigh box and tilting movement thereof for oscillatably rockingsaid hopper, a pump for delivering a coating compound to said hopperupon the delivery of a measured weight of nails thereto, a tumbling drumrotatably mounted on said main frame for movement about an axisextending longitudinally thereof and having a receiving end adjacentsaid hopper and an opposite discharge end, said hopper having adischarge spout extending within the receiving end of said tumblingdrum, said tumbling drum having spiral vanes therein extendingthereabout for a portion of the circumference thereof for progressingthe nails toward the discharge end of said tumbling drum and having alifting divider therein spaced circumferentially from said spiral vanesfor lifting the nails deposited in said tumbling drum and accommodatingthe nails to drop to the bottom thereof during rotation of said drum toeffect a thorough commingling of the nails with coating compound in saiddrum, carried therein from said hopper, a motor, means driven by saidmotor for rotatably driving said tumbling drum and tilting said weighbox to discharge a measured quantity of nails into said hopper, andswitch means controlling operation of said motor and closed to energizesaid motor by lowering movement of said weigh box by the deposit of agiven weight of nails therein.

3. In a nail coating apparatus, a rotatable tumbling drum, anoscillatably movable hopper having a discharge spout extending withinsaid tumbling drum, a weigh box for weighing and supplying apredetermined quantity of nails to said hopper, a pump in materialdischarge relation with said hopper for supplying a uniform quantity ofcoating compound to said hopper, means for oscillatably driving saidhopper to progress the nails and coating compound therein to saidtumbling drum, and means for rotatably driving said tumbling drum totumble and coat the nails therein and to progress the nails forpackaging.

4. In a nail coating apparatus, a main frame, a weigh box mounted onsaid main frame, a tumbling drum mounted on said mainframe for rotationabout an axis extending longitudinally of said main frame and inclineddbwnwardly from the receiving to the discharge end of said tumblingdrum, a hopper mounted on said main frame for oscillatable movement withrespect thereto and having a discharge spout extending within thereceiving end of said tumbling drum for supplying nails to said tumblingdrum, means for tilting said weigh box to deliver a measured quantity ofnails to said hopper, a pump for supplying a measured quantity ofcoating compound to said hopper, means for oscillatably driving saidhopper to discharge the nails and coating compound therein into saidtumbling drum, and other means for rotatably driving said tumbling drumand tilting said weigh box to discharge a measured quantity of nailsinto said hopper controlled by the supply of a predetermined weight ofnails to said Weigh box.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Rowley et a1 Aug. 16, 1881 Morton Nov. 24,1903 Anderson et a1. Aug. 25, 1925 Lichtenberg Mar. 31, 1931 Madsen eta1 Apr. 9, 1935 Rapp Dec. 7, 1937

3. IN A NAIL COATING APPARATUS, A ROTATABLE TUMBLING DRUM, ANOSCILLATABLY MOVABLE HOPPER HAVING A DISCHARGE SPOUT EXTENDING WITHINSAID TUMBLING DRUM, A WEIGH BOX FOR WEIGHING AND SUPPLYING APREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF NAILS TO SAID HOPPER, A PUMP IN MATERIALDISCHARGE RELATION WITH SAID HOPPER FOR SUPPLYING A UNIFORM QUANTITY OFCOATING COMPOUND TO SAID HOPPER, MEANS FOR OSCILLATABLY DRIVING SAIDHOPPER TO PROGRESS THE NAILS AND COATING COMPOUND THEREIN TO SAIDTUMBLING DRUM, AND MEANS FOR ROTATABLY DRIVING SAID TUMBLING DRUM TOTUMBLE AND COAT THE NAILS THEREIN AND TO PROGRESS THE NAILS FORPACKAGING.